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Sterilization method and apparatus

  • US 5,547,635 A
  • Filed: 11/10/1993
  • Issued: 08/20/1996
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/22/1987
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. In a method of sterilizing a surface of an object wherein the nature of the surface is such that the critical surface tension is changeable and the physical and chemical originality of the surface is unalterable when exposed to high energy ultraviolet light and a metal oxide and wherein there is provided a mercury/gallium metal halide ultraviolet light source having an ozone-free metallic doped quartz envelope, the improvement comprising:

  • a) placing the object with the surface to be sterilized in proximity to said light source at a distance providing rapid heat transfer between said light source and said object and surface;

    b) operating said light source to emit high energy ultraviolet light and a metal oxide, said ultraviolet light being emitted through a wavelength range from about 175 nanometers to about 450 nanometers;

    c) exposing said surface to said ultraviolet light and to said metal oxide for a time sufficient to provide a dynamic sterilization process including irradiation by said ultraviolet light, sputtering by said metal oxide and said rapid heat transfer simultaneously on said surface so that the critical surface tension on said surface is changed and biological contaminant layers are actively removed from said surface without altering the originality of said surface which eliminates any shielding or screening of microorganisms on said surface and which provides complete sterilization on said surface with microcombusting of microorganisms; and

    d) wherein the portion of the energy of said ultraviolet light in the wavelength range from about 350 nanometers to about 450 nanometers provides said sputtering and the portion of the energy of said ultraviolet light in the wavelength range from about 175 nanometers to about 300 nanometers provides sterilization at about 253.7 nanometers.

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